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Cardiologist William Maisel, the deputy director for science at the FDA Center of Devices and Radiological Health, was arrested on prostitution charges after being caught in an undercover sting operation in North Laurel, Maryland. Maisel was one of 10 men arrested on July 13.

The Savage-Guilford Patch reported that Maisel "approached a plain-clothed female police officer and offered money for sex." He is scheduled to appear in Howard County District Court on Sept. 20.

According to Pharmalot, the news "was greeted with a mixture of shock and sadness inside the FDA, which is treating the incident as a personal matter, according to an FDA spokeswoman. The arrest, she tells us, 'has nothing to do with the work he is doing here.'" Maisel did not respond to a request for comment from Pharmalot.

Prior to joining the FDA Maisel had been the director of the Medical Device Safety Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Maisel was a vocal advocate for better safety measures and FDA reform in the wake of the recall of the Sprint Fidelis ICD lead recall.